Rehabilitation of the canine patient following spinal cord injury: a practical guide

Rehabilitating the canine patient from spinal cord injury is somewhat more complicated than with patients affected by joint disease, as there is often neurological impairment, as well as pain and weakness, to address. Before referral, most patients will have had a detailed neurological examination carried out by the veterinary surgeon, with use of diagnostic imaging modalities to enable diagnosis, followed by treatment which may or may not include surgery.

With any rehabilitation programme, the patient must first be assessed to gather information and allow the therapist to create a problem list. This includes identifying the location and degree of any neurological impairment, assessing whether the patient requires additional pain management and identifying any areas of muscular weakness that could be strengthened by use of physical therapy techniques.

Unlike the other articles in this series, where a more generalised approach to the stages of rehabilitation could be applied, this article discusses the specific rehabilitation therapies which may assist with recovery in the ambulatory and non-ambulatory patient, including physical therapies, electrotherapies and acupuncture. Neurological conditions affecting the cervical vertebrae, resulting in tetraparesis, are often managed with hospitalisation and intensive therapy and are thus outside the scope of this article.